My Friend the Enemy

Would you save your neighbour?

Polish survivors of a massacre by Ukrainian nationalists in 1943
return to the lands from which they fled.
Stories of horrific events and of how
some Ukrainians risked their lives to save their Polish neighbours.

‘This is the missing piece of the mosaic, at last. Not just of what Ukrainians and Poles did to another then, but somehow of all the murderous horrors of that war, those years. More than the countless films and books about the Jewish holocaust or Oradour or Warsaw, this presents to me the fearsome stew of inconceivable cruelty and moral confusion, neighbours who can turn against neighbours and then risk their own lives to rescue strangers in the name of Christ. Women weeping with joy to see descendants of Poles who lived among them and yet, apparently, still believing that only the Banderites saved them from being murdered by the Poles.
Neal Ascherson, Journalist and writer, (The Polish August: The Self-limiting Revolution, The Nazi Legacy, Black Sea. …)

'Revealing, beautiful, frightening, tender... There is much to say, applaud and think about in Wanda Koscia's My Friend The Enemy. It's a film that digs deep into the hearts and minds of Ukrainians and Poles. This is a disturbing story from World War II that is conveyed with substance and sympathy. Recent events in Ukraine have underlined Koscia's emphasis on the historical importance of memory and national identity.'
Martin Smith, Emmy award-winning filmaker, (The World at War, Vietnam - A Television History, The Struggles for Poland...)

‘The landscape and the everyday goings-on of present-day village life give time to soothe and relieve. There's such a dramatic contrast between the horror of the memories, and the deep quiet, remoteness and beauty of the area today. The reconciliation efforts are heartening, but not sentimentalised.‘
Anna Reid, writer and journalist (Borderland: a journey through the history of Ukraine, The Shaman’s Coat, Leningrad.)

‘Focusing on rescuers allows the hard history to come out in as gentle a fashion as possible, yet the narrative still makes a powerful impact. The sparks of humanity help us work through this dark era... a very moving film.’
John-Paul Himka, Professor of East European History, University of Alberta